JP4004211B2 - Network server and network system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to network technology. In particular, the present invention relates to a network server that governs a network based on a unique system, and a network system that includes a plurality of such network servers.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Expectations for home networks are increasing due to the growing demand for creating a more comfortable and comfortable living environment that meets personal preferences and the advancement of information and communication technologies, including network technologies. The idea of managing various devices using a home network has existed for a long time, but now that the Internet and other networks have become familiar to general consumers, the demands and expectations for home networks have been unprecedented. Yes.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in reality, various devices in the home tend to be connected to different types of networks depending on their origins, electrical characteristics, applications, and the like. For example, so-called AV devices such as a digital television, a digital camera, and a digital video recording apparatus are connected to a network of a system suitable for the purpose, for example, a network conforming to IEEE 1394, in order to exchange digital image data with each other. On the other hand, so-called white goods and cooking appliances are connected to a network using, for example, a power line, and are controlled by a signal superimposed on the power line. For this reason, each forms an independent network (hereinafter referred to as “independent network”), and mutual data exchange and control from one independent network to another independent network is not easy.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the current situation, and an object thereof is to provide a network server and a network system in which information is smoothly exchanged between a plurality of independent networks based on different systems. With this technology, users can be provided with so-called seamless services without being aware of differences in methods, physical characteristics, protocols, etc. of each independent network.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a network system. This system includes a plurality of independent networks based on different methods, independent network servers (hereinafter also simply referred to as “servers”) that respectively control the independent networks, and a backbone network that connects the servers. Including. In addition, the server includes a communication unit that communicates with another server via the backbone network, a first information format used to supervise devices constituting an independent network controlled by the server, and the other information And an information format conversion unit that mutually converts the second information format used for information exchange with the server. In this configuration, the first information format is defined for a specific device in the independent network, while the second information format is defined for an unspecified device in the independent network. Is done.
[0006]
Here, the independent network and the backbone network are not limited in their implementation method, and, for example, whether wired or wireless is not a problem. The transmission method is not limited to electrical, magnetic, optical, etc. “Control” refers to control, management and other actions.
[0007]
According to this configuration, the first information format is used for supervising the devices constituting the independent network controlled by each server. Therefore, the first information format is a format in which a control target device is specified. “Control” refers to actions that affect the operation of the device, monitoring to acquire the status of the device, management to maintain the state of the device, and other actions. On the other hand, since the second information format has a reserve property or versatility in which the target device is not specified, it can be easily distinguished from information for controlling a specific device existing in the network.
[0008]
The second information format is defined as a format having versatility in the independent network, and the information format conversion unit is a correspondence table between the second information formats having versatility in each independent network. The conversion may be performed with reference to FIG.
[0009]
The network system may further include a command generation unit that converts the control content of the device in the first information format converted from the second information format into a command unique to the device and transmits the command to the device. Good. Therefore, when a request for device control is issued from a server A to a server B of another independent network in the second information format, the server B first converts the second information format to the first information format. Then, this is converted into a command for the device.
[0010]
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a network server. This server is connected to the backbone network and controls the independent network based on a specific system, and constitutes a communication unit that communicates with the outside through the backbone network and the independent network that is controlled by itself. An information format conversion unit that mutually converts a first information format used to control the device to be used and a second information format used for information exchange with the outside. The first information format is defined for a specific device in the independent network, and the second information format is defined for an unspecified device in the independent network. According to this configuration, for example, the operation of the network system described above can be realized by the function of the server.
[0011]
In addition to this network server, a device selection unit for selecting a device to be controlled, and when the selected device does not belong to an independent network controlled by itself, the control content is generated in the second information format. And an information exchange file generation unit to be transmitted.
[0012]
Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to a network system. This system includes servers that respectively control a plurality of independent networks based on different systems, and a backbone network that connects the servers. In addition, each of the servers mutually uses a reserve format information format other than the information format used for the control of the devices constituting the independent network controlled by itself, via the backbone network, Control of devices across those independent networks is performed. The “reserved information format” includes an arbitrary information format different from the information format used for controlling a specific device, in addition to the second information format described above.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a home network system 10 according to the embodiment. The home network system 10 is provided in a user's home, and an AV network 20, a cooking network 30 and other independent networks (not shown) are connected to the backbone network 12. The backbone network 12 is connected to the Internet 16 via a router 14. The portable terminal 40 is used when the user controls the home network system 10 from a destination.
[0014]
The AV network 20 includes AV devices such as an AV server 22, a digital television 26, and a digital video recording device 28, which are connected by an AV network bus 24. The cooking system network 30 includes cooking equipment such as a cooking system server 32, a microwave oven 36, and a pot 38, and the cooking system network bus 34 uses a power line for such equipment.
[0015]
The controller 42 is originally a remote controller of the television 26, but here issues a command to the AV server 22. If the command relates to control of devices in the AV network 20, the AV server 22 issues a command directly for those devices. On the other hand, when the command relates to control of devices in another independent network (hereinafter referred to as “other independent network” as cooking system network 30), the AV server 22 is originally intended for a device inside the AV network 20. A file is generated in a reserved or general-purpose information format, and is sent to the cooking system server 32 of the cooking system network 30. This information format is not directed to a specific device in the AV network 20, but takes the form of a description directed to an unspecified device, and is a general-purpose description in that sense.
[0016]
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the AV server 22. In terms of hardware components, this configuration is realized by a CPU, memory, or a program having a reservation management function loaded in an arbitrary computer. Here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these components are drawn. ing. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof.
[0017]
When a user sends a command to the AV system server 22 using the controller 42, a method used for controlling the devices of the AV system network 20 has been conventionally known, and the configuration, operation, and the like are not particularly required. Omitted as much as possible. Here, the situation characteristic of this embodiment, that is, the case where the user's command by the controller 42 relates to the control of the equipment of the cooking network 30 is mainly considered.
[0018]
The communication unit 50 is a functional block that communicates with the backbone network 12 and the controller 42. The device selection unit 52 is a functional block for specifying a device that the user wants to control. When the user presses a predetermined button on the controller 42, for example, the device selection unit 52 displays a device selection screen (not shown) on the television 26 via the communication unit 50. It is assumed that the user has selected “microwave oven” on the screen. This selection is acquired by the device selection unit 52 and transmitted to the information exchange file generation unit 54.
[0019]
The information exchange file generator 54 generates an information exchange file (hereinafter also simply referred to as “file”). The file describes the command in a general-purpose form when the command is for a device of the cooking network 30. However, the generality here does not mean that it is completely standardized by a plurality of independent networks, but it means generality in the sense of “arbitrary devices” other than specific devices in the AV network 20. In other words, it should be called local versatility that is determined for each independent network.
[0020]
The reason for accepting such versatility is that it is practically impossible to completely standardize device control procedures between independent networks with different formats. The cost and maintenance for that is difficult to accept. The advantage of independent networks is that they can be optimized in a closed world. Therefore, the versatility design for realizing control of devices across different independent networks and the freedom of each independent network In order to balance the maintenance of the degree, the concept of local versatility is introduced here.
[0021]
For this reason, the cooking system server 32 that has received the file can recognize that the file is for device control that it manages. The cooking system server 32 once converts this file into a command having general versatility in the cooking system network 30, and then converts it into a command of a device to be actually controlled. The control of equipment between multiple independent networks using each local versatility as an intermediary is that foreigners are localized, but for the time being, the common language is English. It may be likened to communication.
[0022]
In the embodiment, the file is described in XML (eXtended Markup Language). XML is a format that allows users to define and use tags relatively easily, and is expected to be popular. It is generally easy to handle because it is text-based, and the strictness of description is not questioned. The generated file is sent to the cooking system network 30 via the communication unit 50. The substance of the file will be described later with reference to FIG. The communication unit 50, the device selection unit 52, and the information exchange file generation unit 54 are “a configuration for generating and transmitting a file”.
[0023]
On the other hand, the communication unit 50, the information format conversion unit 58, the command generation unit 60, and the correspondence table 62 are “a configuration for receiving a file and controlling a device”. In other words, the instruction received by the cooking server 32 from the user may be for the AV network 20 as a reverse of the instruction received by the AV server 22 from the user for the cooking network 30. Therefore, the file for the AV network 20 generated by the cooking server 32 is sent to the information format conversion unit 58 via the communication unit 50. Here, there is a general description in the cooking network 30 for controlling any device in the AV network 20 in the file, and the information format conversion unit 58 uses the general description in the AV network 20. Convert to The correspondence table 62 stores correspondences between general-purpose descriptions in the cooking network 30 and general-purpose descriptions in the AV network 20, and is referred to during conversion. Thereafter, the command generator 60 generates a command for actual device control, and controls the device via the communication unit 50.
[0024]
FIG. 3 shows an AV system control table 100 describing the meaning in the AV system network 20 assigned to the “channel” button (not shown) of the controller 42. Here, the “channel” button corresponds to the “channel” tag in the hierarchy below the “TV” tag for the television 26 that is a specific device in the AV network 20. “¥” indicates a hierarchy. That is, when the “channel” button is pressed when the device to be controlled is the television 26, the AV server 22 controls the channel of the television 26, for example,
<TV>
<Channel> 10 </ Channel>
</ TV>
A file containing the tag is generated. This file is not for sending commands to the cooking network 30, but is used by the AV server 22 for controlling the television 26. Strictly speaking, this file is for “channel setting” shown in the control column, and if you want to know the current channel, a file (not shown) corresponding to “channel acquisition” shown in the status column is generated. The Note that this file is not necessary because the AV server 22 normally controls the television 26 directly with commands. However, here, an example is described in which a file is used to help understanding when a command is sent to the cooking network 30.
[0025]
On the other hand, it is assumed that when the “channel” button of the controller 42 is pressed, the device to be controlled is an external “microwave oven”. At that time, the information exchange file generation unit 54 of the AV server 22 generates the general-purpose description shown in FIG. 3, that is, the tag structure “general-purpose ¥ number”. This general description inherits the same meaning as “TV ¥ channel” in the control column and the status column in the AV network 20. This is a measure for controlling a television channel by a general command from the cooking system server 32.
[0026]
FIG. 4 shows the internal data of the correspondence table 62. Here, the correspondence between AV tags and cooking tags is shown between general-purpose tags. For example, “general-purpose ¥ number” of the AV tag corresponds to “general-purpose ¥ power” in the cooking tag.
[0027]
FIG. 5 shows internal data of the cooking system control table 120 of the cooking system server 32. Since it is known from FIG. 4 that the “general-purpose ¥ number” in the AV system control table 100 corresponds to the “general-purpose ¥ power” in the cooking system control table 120, when the microwave oven 36 is controlled by the controller 42, FIG. The “general-purpose power” in FIG. 5 is identified from the “general-value ¥ number” in FIG. 3 through the “general-value ¥ number” in FIG. Therefore, the user can control the heating power of the microwave oven 36 in another room, for example, with the “channel” button of the controller 42 directed to the AV server 22.
[0028]
FIG. 6 shows a file 130 generated by the information exchange file generator 54 of the AV server 22 for this control. Here, “5” is given as the device number of the microwave oven 36 so as not to overlap with other devices. The device number can be used by the cooking server 32 to know whether the target device of the file 130 exists in the cooking network 30. However, the device number and address may be entered in a header area (not shown) of the file. Subsequently, the number “1000” entered by the user with the channel button is entered in the portion of the number tag corresponding to “general-purpose ¥ number”. The file 130 is transmitted to the cooking system server 32 via the communication unit 50.
[0029]
FIG. 7 shows the internal data of the file 150 converted in the cooking server 32 that has received the file 130 of FIG. The cooking system server 32 also has a configuration equivalent to the AV system server 22 in FIG. 2, and the information format conversion unit 58 refers to the correspondence table 62 in the cooking system server 32 to temporarily convert the file 130 in FIG. 6 into the file 150 in FIG. Convert to The “generic ¥ number” tag changes to “general purpose ¥ power” after conversion.
[0030]
Subsequently, the command generation unit 60 of the cooking system server 32 converts the file 150 of FIG. 7 into a command for controlling the microwave oven 36. As a result, as in the final file 160 shown in FIG. 8, the heating power of the microwave oven 36 is set or changed to 1000 watts by the “microwave ¥ heating power” tag. However, the command generated by the command generation unit 60 is in a coded format, and is often not originally described in XML, but is shown in XML here for the sake of understanding.
[0031]
FIG. 9 shows an information conversion file creation procedure in the above configuration. These processes are performed by the AV server 22. First, the communication part 50 inputs the command which the user issued with the controller 42 (S10). The communication unit 50 determines whether the device to be controlled exists inside or outside the own network. If the device is inside (Y in S12), a normal control process is performed (S14), and the process ends. On the other hand, in the case of the outside (N in S12), the information exchange file generator 54 generates the information exchange file 130 shown in FIG. 6 and transmits it (S16).
[0032]
FIG. 10 shows a processing procedure in the cooking system server 32 that has received the file generated by the processing of FIG. When receiving the information exchange file 130 (S20), the cooking system server 32 performs tag conversion with reference to the correspondence table 62 in FIG. 4, the AV system control table 100 in FIG. 3, and the cooking system control table 120 in FIG. (S22). Thereby, the file 150 of FIG. 7 is generated. Subsequently, the command generation unit 60 generates a final command and transmits it to the target device (S24).
[0033]
The present invention has been described based on some embodiments. It is understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplifications, and that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. By the way.
[0034]
As a modification, the home network system 10 may be controlled via the Internet 16 by the mobile terminal 40 while away from home, in addition to the user operating the controller 42 at home. In that case, the portable terminal 40 can identify any general-purpose description in each independent network, for example, tag information such as “general-purpose ¥ number” in FIG. Devices can be controlled without being aware of network differences. As a result, a seamless service is realized.
[0035]
As another modification, the embodiment can be applied to an FA / OA, a personal network, and any other network besides the home network. As the number of heterogeneous networks increases, such as the home network and those external networks, the effect of the embodiment is considered to be higher.
[0036]
As yet another modification, the command system of the device may be unified into a file format such as XML. Further, when the status is sent spontaneously from the device to another device, the device itself can generate and transmit an information exchange file.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, information can be exchanged between different types of independent networks, for example, mutual control of devices.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a home network system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an AV server.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing internal data of an AV system control table.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing internal data of a correspondence table.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing internal data of a cooking system control table.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing internal data of an information exchange file generated by an AV server.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing internal data of an information exchange file converted by a cooking server.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a final command generated in the cooking system server in an XML format.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating an information exchange file in an AV server.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for actually controlling a device based on an information exchange file received by a cooking server.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Home network system, 12 Core network, 20 AV system network, 22 AV system server, 24 AV system network bus, 30 Cooking system network, 32 Cooking system server, 34 Cooking system network bus, 50 Communication part, 52 Equipment selection part 54 Information exchange file generator, 58 Information format converter, 60 Command generator, 62 Correspondence table.

Claims (5)

Multiple independent networks based on different schemes;
An independent network server that governs each of these independent networks;
A backbone network connecting the independent network servers,
The independent network server is:
A communication unit that communicates with another independent network server via the backbone network;
An information format for mutually converting the first information format used to control the devices constituting the independent network controlled by itself and the second information format used for exchanging information with the other independent network server Including a conversion unit,
The first information format is defined for a specific device in the independent network, while the second information format is defined in a format that has versatility in the independent network;
The information format conversion unit further converts the second information format having versatility in another independent network into a second information format having versatility in the independent network. Network system.   The apparatus further includes a command generation unit that converts the content of device control in the first information format converted from the second information format into a command specific to the device and transmits the command to the device. Item 4. The network system according to Item 1. A server that is connected to a backbone network and controls an independent network based on a unique method,
A communication unit that communicates with the outside via the backbone network;
An information format conversion unit that mutually converts a first information format used to control devices constituting an independent network controlled by itself and a second information format used for information exchange with the outside;
The first information format is defined for a specific device in the independent network, while the second information format is defined in a format that has versatility in the independent network;
The information format conversion unit further converts a second information format having versatility in another independent network into a second information format having versatility in the independent network. Network server. The network server is
A device selection unit for selecting a device to be controlled;
When the selected device does not belong to an independent network that it controls, an information exchange file generation unit that generates and transmits the content of the control in the second information format;
The network server according to claim 3 , further comprising: An independent network server that governs multiple independent networks based on different methods;
A backbone network connecting the independent network servers,
Each of the independent network servers has a reserve format information format of a device constituting an independent network governed by itself other than an information format used to control a device constituting the independent network governed by the independent network server. Converting the reserve format information format of the devices that make up the other independent network through the backbone network to the reserve format information format of the devices that make up the independent network that it controls A network system characterized in that, by using each other in a mutual manner, control of devices across those independent networks is carried out.

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